Chapter 18
1048 Words
It was meant to be just a moment of impulse, but a punishing kiss quickly spiraled out of control. Her taste was so sweet, so intoxicating, that it seemed to have a magical pull on him, making Adrian fiercely want her.
Just as Adrian was about to forcefully take things further, he noticed that the person in his arms had gone still. Reluctantly, he released her lips, filled with desire, and saw that Melina's face had turned pale.
His heart tightened with worry. Quickly rolling off her, he slapped her cheeks lightly, but she didn't respond. This damned woman had fainted. Adrian was on the verge of a breakdown, urgently administering first aid.
Melina took a deep breath and woke up, blinking at the ceiling. What happened to her? Did she just wake up? No, wait, she remembered kissing Adrian, then getting nervous, and then... nothing. She must have fainted.
Boom! Her face turned crimson. How embarrassing! She wanted to bury herself in a hole. She grabbed the blanket, covered her head, and then peeked out through a small gap. Adrian wasn't on the bed or nearby. He must have left.
She needed to get up and go to work. Slapping her cheeks, she sat up, only to be startled by the sight of Adrian's tall frame leaning against the bedroom door, coldly watching her with a slight smirk on his lips.
Was that a smile? Was he laughing at her? She preferred to believe it was a sneer at her for fainting during a kiss. Normally fearless, Melina didn't know whether to play dead or get up.
"You really fainted from a kiss."
Indeed, it was mockery. Melina's face went from red to white and back again. Finally, she clenched her fists and decided to fight back. "That’s because you’re terrible at kissing, hogging all the air. I was suffocating."
"Not many people can be so self-righteous after making a fool of themselves." Adrian retorted, moving to her side and placing a glass of water on the nightstand. Only then did Melina notice he had brought it for her.
Melina raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for the compliment."
She got up, washed up, and went downstairs for breakfast. She sat quietly beside Adrian, unusually docile, which made the four elders of the Chambers family a bit uneasy. They couldn't help but glance at Melina, who felt like everyone knew about her morning's embarrassing incident. After a few bites, she couldn't eat anymore. "I'm full. I'll leave now."
Today, the one feeling awkward was Melina.
Days passed like this, and before they knew it, it was March. Melina had been Adrian’s contract bride for a month and seemed to be trying hard to play the role of a wife.
She washed his clothes, including his underwear. Each time she washed these intimate items, she couldn’t help but blush. Adrian, from initially feeling awkward, had grown accustomed to Melina doing these things.
On Sundays, Melina took on the task of cooking all three meals for the family. Her culinary skills were commendable, and everyone who ate her food praised it. Even Adrian, who was usually very picky, had grown fond of her cooking.
Whenever he came home early, after dinner, she would seriously sit with him to watch the financial news or sports programs that most women would find boring, though she often fell asleep, sometimes drooling on his leg. Surprisingly, he got used to it.
He got used to coming home late and finding a light left on for him, a bath prepared with hot water, and drinking the millet porridge she made for him after social events.
He got used to her occasional orders, her bossy commands for him to do this or that, and somewhere along the way, he learned to comply. He got used to her fearless, loud, and carefree demeanor.
He also got used to sharing the bed with her, maintaining distance, only to wake up entwined together. They would look at each other, then she would coldly roll her eyes, and he would expressionlessly push her head out of his arms before getting up to wash.
Tonight, Adrian came back late, escorted by his assistant and Chi Jun, because he had drunk too much. The elders had all gone to bed. Melina had them help Adrian into the bedroom. Chi Jun and the assistant, seeing the bed, couldn't wait to drop the tall Adrian onto it.
"Hey, be gentle. He might get hurt," Melina protested softly, watching their rough handling. Chi Jun laughed. "Sister-in-law, he’s safely delivered. We’ll take our leave now."
Melina quickly said, "Thank you. If you’re not in a rush, have a cup of tea before you go."
"No need, it’s late. We’ll be going."
Chi Jun and Adrian’s assistant left. Melina saw them off and returned to the bedroom, frowning at Adrian. In all the time she’d known him, he’d rarely gotten this drunk. His stomach wasn’t good, yet he drank like this. Did he have a death wish?
Melina was a bit angry at him for not taking care of himself, but she went over, removed his shoes and socks, loosened his tie, struggled to take off his suit and pants, and covered him with a blanket. She tossed his clothes in the bathroom, planning to get some millet porridge for him.
He always drank if he came back late, so she made sure to have something ready. Leaving the bedroom, she saw Lauren standing at the door. "Mom, you’re still up?"
Adrian's mother looked worried. "Did Adrian drink too much?"
"Yes, Mom, you should go to bed. It’s nothing serious." Melina replied, heading downstairs to the kitchen. Lauren, still concerned, went to check on Adrian. She knew his problem: drinking too much made him vomit non-stop, and she worried Melina couldn’t handle it.
Melina returned with the porridge to find Lauren sitting by the bed, wiping Adrian's face. She thought Lauren looked so gentle and kind. She placed the porridge on the nightstand, noticing Adrian’s discomfort. He looked like he was about to vomit.
Lauren saw it too, but before she could get the trash can, Melina had already brought it over. "Here’s a trash can, you can vomit into it without getting up," she said, supporting him.
- Writer
